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Chapter 1071 It's Time For You To Know Your Place

As an existence that had guarded the Holy Grounds for thousands of years, the Dark Wraith had never felt a single threat to its existence.

That was, until today.

For the first time in its long, and decrepit, life, the Dark Wraith found itself hard pressed against the intruder that had suddenly descended into the Dark Domain that it guarded.

"Is that all you've got?" Sun Wukong asked as he lightly slapped the face of the Dark Wraith that was lying on the ground. "I guess you can only bully little children. What a weakling."

"Kuh… Arrogant Ape," the Dark Wraith replied as it unleashed the Power of Darkness in its body. "I'll… kill… you!"

"Yeah, maybe after a hundred thousand years," Sun Wukong smirked as he swatted the Dark Wraith with a powerful slap, uncaring about the Dark Energy that assaulted his body. "You see, parlor tricks like this don't work on me."

As soon as he finished his declaration, the miasma that the Dark Wraith had unleashed at point-blank range disappeared completely.

"Why are you interfering in this matter?" Ahriman asked through telepathy. "Are you that bored?"

"Yes," Sun Wukong replied. "You see, my boy, William, over there is fighting you guys even though the odds are stacked up against him. I just figured that I'd join in the fun and balance things out a bit."

Ahriman snorted in contempt. "Balance things out? Very funny. Do you really think that your appearance will change anything? You only hastened the inevitable."

"Oh?" Sun Wukong cleaned his ears as he stepped on the Dark Wraith's head and pushed it towards the ground. The Monkey King had coated the Dark Wraith with his Divinity, and prevented it from morphing away like that ghost-like entity it was.

"I'd like to see what you're talking about." Sun Wukong stated in a casual manner.

Ahriman chuckled. "Very well. It's time for you to know your place, Monkey."

Sun Wukong was about to yawn, but he stopped midway after he felt thirteen powerful presences that were coming from the heavens.

Six of them were almost as strong as him which made the Monkey King frown, the rest were beings who were at the initial stages of the Demigod Rank, which made the frown on his face deepen.

Although the other seven Demigods weren't a threat to him, they were a big threat to William who was fighting all alone.

"It looks like you are having fun, Wukong," a Bull Demon laughed as he looked at his mortal enemy with a gloating expression on his face. "Do you mind if we join?"

"Dear, stop teasing him," a beautiful Demon with a fan in hand commented. "Since we're already here, wouldn't it be boring if we didn't teach this Monkey a lesson or two."

"Bull Demon King, and Iron Fan B*tch," Sun Wukong snorted. "Looks like you are both here to get beaten up."panda-novel,c,om

"That's Princess Iron Fan to you, Monkey!" Princess Iron Fan shouted as she pointed her fan at the Monkey King. "Today will be the day we finally settle the score. Prepare yourself!"

"Shut up, B*tch," Sun Wukong replied. "You and that Bull is a match made in heaven. Both of you are merely dogs that wag your tail in front of your Master."

The Bull Demon King laughed as he rested his war axe over his shoulder. "We are a part of Ahriman's Faction. It is about time that the Demons finally show the world whose boss. You are a Demon yourself. Why not just join our side and drink wine with me like old times?"

Sun Wukong ignored the Bull Demon King as he gazed at the four other enemies that had encircled him.

"Da Peng, Kinkaku, Koriki, and you… I didn't know that you are also part of their faction," Sun Wukong spat on the ground as he glared at the Demon whose appearance resembled his.

"Why not? You already know that I hate you with a vengeance," the Fake Sun Wukong smirked before passing his right hand over his face. His transformation was undone, and he appeared using his original face in order to spite the Monkey King who had thwarted his plans in the past.

"Six-Eared Macaque, at your service," the Six-Eared Macaque made a curtsy filled with sarcasm before laughing out loud.

The six powerful Demons who had fought against Sun Wukong over the past hundreds of years looked at him with eyes devoid of mercy.

The Bull Demon King, a Demon whose strength almost equaled Sun Wukong's. The irony of it all was that although they were enemies, the two of them were sworn brothers as well.

Princess Iron Fan, a beautiful Demoness who was neither evil nor good. She cared deeply for her family, so when the Bull Demon King accepted Ahriman's offer to descend to the mortal realm and make him one of his commanders, Princess Iron Fan decided to come with him to ensure that he wouldn't cheat on her.

Da Peng, most commonly known as the Golden-Winged Peng—which was similar to a giant golden Eagle—was an ancient being and had immense powers. Even so, Sun Wukong had gotten in his way a few times in the past, which made Da Peng hold a grudge against him.

Koriki was a Demon that Sun Wukong had encountered in the past, and was also a troublesome one. He had almost been beheaded after losing to Sun Wukong, but he had somehow escaped in order to seek revenge against him.

As for the last, Sun Wukong had mixed feelings about the Six-Eared Macaque. This particular Demon liked to use the Monkey King's appearance to create havoc in the land, and make people think that Sun Wukong had finally gone crazy and turned against those who had believed in him.

Only the Buddha was able to tell who he really was, and prove to everyone that Sun Wukong was being conspired against.

Although he was not as brave or as confident as the Monkey King, the Six-Eared Macaque was definitely someone that even Sun Wukong had trouble fighting against.

Now, these six powerful enemies surrounded him, and ensured that he wouldn't be able to do as he pleased. The Monkey King sighed in his heart as he gazed at the seven other Demigods who were watching William's battle against Felix.

'This is a little troublesome,' Sun Wukong thought as he firmly gripped his weapon in his hand. Although he was confident that he wouldn't lose against the six demons surrounding him, he couldn't say the same about William's current circumstances.

The Monkey King had a feeling that if he tried to help the red-headed teenager fend off the seven Demigods that were eyeing the Half-Elf at the moment, the other six enemies would target the boy as well, which was something that Sun Wukong didn't want to happen.

"I told you, didn't I?" Ahriman's voice, filled with ridicule, reached Sun Wukong's ears. "You can't stop the inevitable. Just watch from the side like the good Monkey you are, and watch the defeat of your favored mortal."

Even the Dark Wraith who was under Sun Wukong's feet, laughed mockingly at the Monkey King's helplessness. This in turn, angered Sun Wukong causing him to repeatedly stomped his foot to torture the Dark Wraith, who was getting on his nerves.

The six demons that encircled the Monkey King didn't move, and allowed Sun Wukong to vent his frustration on the Dark Wraith who didn't know how to keep its mouth shut.

They knew that the Monkey King had already accepted his fate, and would not do anything reckless, or else they would no longer hold back and target the red-headed teenager, whose current circumstance had turned for the worse.

Chapter 1072 I Will Wait For You At The Roots Of The World Tree

Why?'

'Why can't I beat him?'

These were the thoughts that passed through Felix's head as he clashed with Wiliam over and over again. Each and every time, the Half-Elf gained the upper hand and gave him a good thrashing. If not for the Dark Armor he was wearing, he might have already sustained grievous injuries due to their intense battle.

"Impossible," Felix muttered as he gazed at the opponent who was looking down on him from the sky. "Why are you so strong?!"

William ignored Felix's words as he threw Stormcaller towards the Demonic Prince, who was currently lying on the ground.

A thunderous roar spread across the heavens as hundreds of lightning bolts descended towards Stormcaller, painting their surroundings with their brightness.

What followed next was a powerful explosion that sent a dust cloud rising towards the sky.

Stormcaller returned to William's side as it crackled with power after delivering a powerful attack to its target.

'It's still not enough.' William clicked his tongue as his vision swept through the dust cloud, and locked onto the body of the green-haired Demon, who was encased in a pitch-black armor.

"No matter what you do, it's useless!" Felix shouted as he propped himself from the ground. "I am invincible! You can't defeat me!"

The green-haired Demon wanted to say more, but he could feel blood rising up his throat, so he decisively clamped his mouth shut, in order to prevent showing any kind of weakness.

After forcefully swallowing back the blood that had nearly escaped his lips, Felix raised his dark spear and pointed it at the red-headed teenager who had made him suffer so much.

"Kill him!" Felix ordered. "What are you all looking at?! Kill him!"

The Demon Prince couldn't accept that he was at a great disadvantage against the son of the Dungeon Conqueror that defeated his father. He thought that since he was already the chosen Prince, he would be able to trample anyone who stood in his way.

However, his current situation made him realize that he still didn't have enough power to overcome the person whom he had deemed as his rival.

Felix was considered to be a prodigy of the Demon Race. He had fought inside dangerous dungeons in order to gain battle experience. However, he had never experienced a fight where his life was on the line.

Even when he was challenging dungeons, there would always be elite Demons to guard him. These Demons would always step in when Felix was in a pinch, so he had never really suffered any hardships.

He was very different from William, who had risked his life several times in the past by fighting against strong opponents. What Felix lacked was true battle experience. He wasn't like William who had fought wars, Demigods, and Pseudo-Gods, and lived to tell the tale.

"What a disappointment." Invidia shook her head when she heard Felix's shout.

Superbia also nodded her head in agreement. Although she didn't say anything, the coldness in her gaze was enough to tell how disappointed she was due to Felix's incompetence.

The two beautiful girls watched as two of the Demigods that had encircled William made their move to attack the Half-Elf.

Aside from the two Demigods, tens of thousands of shadowy figures materialized on the ground. They were the Demons that had been corrupted by the Power of Darkness since time immemorial who had become Shadow Demons that answered the call of the Heir of Darkness.

The red-headed teenager immediately found himself assaulted on all sides, as he desperately evaded all the attacks that were headed in his direction.

William could have run away, but he chose not to. He knew that the moment he did, Celine and Chloee would be targeted by the Demons, so he decided to endure and look for an opportunity to land a decisive blow on Felix, who was laughing on the ground, while being guarded by the five remaining Demigods.

"Is that the person you chose to ally yourself to?" Sun Wukong spat on the ground as he gazed hatefully at Felix from where he stood. "Pathetic."

The Bull Demon King, as well as his wife, Princess Iron Fan, frowned. As beings that were almost as strong as Sun Wukong, they also felt disappointed at Ahriman's Chosen Heir. However, since they were on the same side, they merely kept their silence as they stood their ground and prevented the Monkey King from aiding the Half-Elf.

"Yes, quite disappointing, but so what?" the Six-Eared Macaque said with contempt. "It's not his fault that he is on the winning side. Since we already have the advantage, why not use it to the fullest? Do you really think that we will take pity on someone who opposes us? Wukong, I didn't expect you to still hope for a miracle to happen."

The Monkey King ignored the Six-Eared Macaque as he gazed at William's desperate struggle. He knew that it was only a matter of time before he was cornered due to the sheer disparity in numbers.panda-novel,c,om

Celine and Chloee, who was observing the battle in the distance, felt an ache in their hearts as they gritted their teeth in frustration. The beautiful Elf knew that if William wished it, he could probably escape this place if he left her behind.

However, she also knew that Wiliam wouldn't do that. This was why she was hurting so much. Chloee, on the other hand, blamed herself for not being strong enough to help due to her weakened state.

They could only watch helplessly as William fought tooth and nail against his enemies. He was like a lone lightning bolt streaking across the dark sky. Although he was still shining brightly, it was only a matter of time before his brilliance faded.

Then it happened.

The two Demigods decided to become serious and collaborated with each other in order to trap William in place. Their plan worked, and the Half-Elf was bound with Dark Chains that held his arms, legs, and waist, preventing him from moving.

"Die!" Felix shouted as he threw his Dark Spear towards his adversary, who was unable to dodge his attack.

It was at that moment when time suddenly stopped. The dark spear, the shadow demons, as well as the Demigods had come to a complete stop.

The gem on William's chest glowed brightly and a silver-haired Elf materialized in front of him. Kenneth's long silver hair fluttered in the breeze, as he turned around to face William.

"Smile. The World is not ending just yet," Kenneth said as he looked at William with a smile on his face. "I will wait for you at the roots of the World Tree."

Before William could even understand what was happening, Kenneth's body slowly dispersed like ashes being thrown in the wind. Only an oval red gem that shone brightly remained behind.

"I will wait for you at the roots of the World Tree."

Kenneth's words reverberated for the second time, before William heard a dull cracking sound. The red gem shattered and ripple-like fluctuation spread across the surroundings.

Soon, time once again started to turn, as the Dark Spear, the Shadow Demons, as well as the two Demigods, charged towards William as if nothing had happened.

Suddenly, a pink haired girl carrying a mace in her hand, deflected the spear that was aimed at her husband's heart.

An Old Witch with a crooked nose, materialized behind WIlliam as she used her mortar and pestle to block one of the two Demigods who had intended to crush William's body.

"Bind the world in your embrace and hold it in place!" Lilith shouted as he lashed her treasured weapon at the second Demigod who thought that it could hurt the man she loved. "Devastate, Gleipnir!"

"Let's go, everyone!" Princess Sidonie ordered as she flew in the air throwing fireballs at the Shadow Demons with a hateful glare.

Several shards of ice pierced the body of the Demigod that Lilith was facing. The otherworldly beauty looked at the enemies around her with a chilling gaze as her long, light-blue hair fluttered in the breeze.

It was also at this moment when Hundreds of portals appeared just above the land, and in the sky as William's Herd and King's Legion came to protect him.

"Die Motherf*ckers!" B1 shouted as it unleashed a barrage of magic missiles towards the tens of thousands of Shadow Demons as soon as he appeared in the sky.

"F*cking pieces of sh*ts!" B2 unleashed several alchemist fire bottles that Celine had provided them when she was still doing her experiments in the Thousand Beast Domain.

"I'M ROLLING!" Kasogonaga steamrolled the Shadow Demons on the ground, as Erchitu, Psoglav, as well as the Antz Army descended from the sky to join him.

They had long wanted to help William, but the restriction in the Holy Land of Darkness prevented them from leaving the Thousand Beast Domain to come to his aid.

Surprise had flashed across Felix's face when his sister, Chiffon, materialized out of thin air and blocked the attack that was meant to take William's life. However, his surprise didn't last long as a look of disbelief appeared on his face when Baba Yaga, several beautiful ladies, as well as hordes of monsters appeared to protect the red-headed teenager whom he thought was a goner.

Sun Wukong's loud laughter reverberated inside the domain when he saw the sudden change come to the battlefield. He knew that this was no longer a one-sided battle.

The Monkey King was quite aware of the forces that served under William's command, and with this, he no longer needed to worry about the red-headed teenager, who had been freed from the chains that bound him, by the people who loved him.

Chapter 1073 Please Remember My Name. My Name Is Acedia

Thousand Beast Domain, twenty minutes before William's King's Legion appeared to help him…

Ashe, Princess Sidonie, Chiffon, and Lilith looked helplessly at the sky. They were able to witness William's battle, but they could not go and help him.

Even the Beasts inside the Domain were getting restless as they watched him get encircled on all sides by his enemies.

"Is there really nothing we can do?!" Kasogonaga angrily stomped its little paw on the ground as it shouted in its adorable voice. "We need to help Will!"

Erchitu and Psoglav, whom he considered as his two best friends, also had grim expressions on their faces. All three of them wanted to aid William in his fight, but no matter what they did, an invisible barrier was preventing them from leaving the Thousand Beast Domain.

Even Ella, who rarely showed an expression of anger, looked at the sky with a frustrated look on her face. She kept on clenching and unclenching her fists, as she thought of a way to help Will overcome his current predicament.

When everyone was feeling depressed, Kenneth stepped forward as his silver hair started to extend until it reached the ground.

"I have a way for everyone to leave this place and help Will," Kenneth declared. "However, the chances of all of you dying if you come out of this place is very high."

Kenneth turned around to look at the people, and beasts, who cared about William with a calm expression on his face.

"Are you sure that you are willing to take this risk?" Kenneth asked. "Once we do this, there's no going back."

Ashe stepped forward as he looked at Kenneth with determination.

"If you have a way to break the barrier that prevents us from helping him, please, do it," Ashe stated. "I would rather fight by his side than watch him suffer all alone."

"I feel the same," Chiffon declared as she also stepped forward. "I would not be here if not for William. He is my husband. No matter where he is, that is my place."

"He still hasn't given me his babies," Princess Sidonie said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I will not let him die on my watch."

"Although we are still not married, he is already my life partner," Lilith summoned Gleipnir and held it firmly in her grasp. "Also, Amazons don't shy away from battles. His fight is my fight."

Kenneth nodded his head. "Keep him safe for me. The moment I dispel the barrier, this body will immediately disappear."

"Disappear?" Princess Sidonie asked. "What do you mean, disappear?"

Kenneth glanced at her before removing his upper robe. Everyone looked at his delicate body, and noticed an oval shaped red gem in the center of his chest.

"I am a homunculus," Kenneth replied. "This is not my real body. I can only control it remotely with the power of the Philosopher's Stone in my chest. In order to break the barrier, I need to detonate it in order to cause a ripple in space and time. That is the only way to allow all of you to leave this place."

Kenneth once again dressed himself properly before scanning the faces of everyone in his surroundings.

"Are all of you ready?" Kenneth asked. "If the answer is yes then I will detonate the Philosopher's Stone after I leave this place."

"Wait."panda-novel,c,om

A calm voice that was filled with authority called out to Kenneth.

Everyone turned their heads to look at Ella, who was currently walking in their direction with several goats following behind her.

"You said that you are a homunculus," Ella said. "Since that is the case, this also means that Kenneth is not your real name. As William's adoptive mother, I would like to know the name of the person who plans to sacrifice the precious Philosopher's Stone to allow us to come to his aid. Tell me, what is your name?"

Kenneth looked at the otherworldly beauty in front of him. To this day, he never expected that the goat whom William had called Mama, was actually someone whose powers even Kenneth could not fathom.

"Acedia," Kenneth said with pride. "Please remember my name. My name is Acedia. Please, save Will in my place."

—----

Silvermoon Continent…

Arwen sensed a fluctuation from the spring of life that was hidden within the roots of the World Tree.

William's mother hurriedly made her way towards the spring's location with a frown on her face. There was only one person that had made that place her home, and she was supposed to be in the Central Continent with William.

When Arwen arrived at the spring, her gaze immediately landed on the beautiful Elf, whose entire body was submerged under the water. Her long blonde hair, that was as long as the roots of the World Tree, glowed faintly from under the water.

She had been sleeping peacefully in the spring of life for many years, and it was very rare for Arwen to see her awake.

Suddenly, the young lady's naked body slowly rose to the surface of the spring. Arwen didn't hesitate as she waded into the waist-deep waters, in order to go to her Disciple's side.

The young lady's eyelids fluttered, before they slowly opened. She lazily gazed around at her surroundings, until her sight landed on Arwen, who had arrived beside her.

"Acedia, what happened?" Arwen asked. "I felt the destruction of the Philosopher's Stone that I gave you. Did something happen to Will?"

Acedia looked at William's mother for a brief moment before closing her eyes.

"Yes," Acedia replied. "Tell the Council that he has been born. William, his wives, as well as his King's Legion are now fighting against the forces of Darkness. The prophecy has come to pass."

Arwen's lips trembled when she heard Acedia's report. She knew that her Disciple would only use the Philosopher's Stone as a last resort to help William. Since Acedia had done it, Arwen knew that her son's condition was very dire, but there was nothing she could do about it.

"Please, save him…," Acedia said in a drowsy voice. "I can't… stay awake… any longer."

As soon as her words left her lips, Acedia's body became completely still before it was once again submerged in the spring of life.

Arwen looked at her Disciple one last time before hurrying towards the Elven Council to tell them the news. Deep inside, she was very worried about her son, but since she was thousands of miles away from him, the only thing she could do was pray.

Pray to the Gods that her beloved son would be able to survive the calamity that he found himself in.

Chapter 1074 The Two Of Us Will Always Be Together, Whether You Like It Or Not

"My dear sister, fancy meeting you here," Felix said as he looked at the pink-haired girl whom he had bullied for years. "What are you doing here? Have you come here to become my obedient doll who will follow my every wish?"

Chiffon looked at her older brother while holding Sharur firmly in her grip. If she said that she hadn't received any trauma during her childhood, she would be lying. Even so, she was surprised to find herself not shaking in fear when facing the brother that had made her life difficult when she was still in the Demon Continent.

"No," Chiffon replied. "I came here to pay you back for the suffering that I experienced during my childhood."

"Chiffon, my sweet little sister. Don't be too attached to the past. Your big brother is now a changed man," Felix stated with a smile. "I will no longer mistreat you. In fact, I am willing to make up for the years of suffering that you experienced. If you want to blame someone, you should blame our father instead. You already know that I also suffered in his hands, no?"

Chiffon looked at Felix with a calm expression on her face. She was no longer the gullible little girl that would do everything for pieces of scraps that she could eat when her hunger reached its peak.

"Just like you, I'm also a changed person," Chiffon replied. "I am no longer that little girl you bullied long ago. I will no longer listen to your lies."

Felix arched an eyebrow as she gazed at his little sister who was now looking back at him with a defiant gaze. The old Chiffon would always cower whenever their eyes met. However, the pink-haired girl who was staring at him right now, didn't have any fear in her eyes. Instead, what he saw in her eyes was a defiance that she had never shown to him in the past.

"What is he to you?" Felix asked as he pointed at William. "He's the reason you're no longer listening to me, right?"

"He is my husband."

"Husband? Him? Are you joking?"

Felix laughed as he looked at Chiffon and William with contempt. However, after seeing that the Half-Elf didn't deny his sister's words, the Crowned Prince stopped laughing.

"I guess Half-breeds tend to like each other." Felix rubbed his chin with interest. "How about this, Chiffon. You come to my side, and I'll let your husband live after I strip him of his powers. As long as you obey my every word, I will ensure that the two of you can be together. How about it?"

Chiffon pointed Sharur towards Felix as her expression became cold.

"I don't need your permission to be with him," Chiffon replied. "The two of us will always be together, whether you like it or not."

"Hah! We'll see about that." Felix sneered. "I no longer need your protection. Bring that rebellious sister of mine to her knees. Make sure not to kill her. I will re-educate her that going against me is a bad idea."

Three of the Demigods nodded their heads, as they flew towards the sky. Two Demigods remained by Felix's side because Ahriman ordered them to do so.

The battle was getting intense as Baba Yaga and Lilith fought against the first two Demigods, while Ella shifted her attention to the two Demigods that were approaching their location.

"I unlock your seals," Ella declared. "Deal with the other Demigod, I will handle this one."

Aslan, Chronos, and the rest of the goats transformed into their Demi-Human forms. Although they were weaker than the Demigods, the twelve of them had a unique synchronized ability that allowed them to fight against one, as long as all of them were together.

It didn't take long for Felix to realize that even with four Demigods on his side, the battle was still at a stalemate.

William's King's Legion fought against the Shadow Demons using battle formations that they had used from their previous battles.

Although the Shadow Demons were strong, they were just fighting as individuals, so they were nothing compared to William's organized army that was outclassing them, even though they were fewer in numbers.

None of the Demon Clans that had joined William's ranks were present in the battle because Princess Sidonie had forbidden them from joining. She knew how dangerous the upcoming battle was going to be, so she ordered them to stay put and wait for their return.

While the others fought against the Demigods, Ashe, Princess Sidonie, Chiffon, Charmaine and the rest of the Elves joined the fight against the Shadow Demons.

At the present moment, no one had a clear advantage over the others. William's forces had quality, but Felix's forces had quantity. The Shadow Demons were no ordinary creatures. They were the souls that had been trapped inside the Ancient Ruins, and had been soaked in the Power of Darkness for hundreds of years. panda-novel,c,om

They were not cannon fodders that could easily be defeated. William's forces had already suffered hundreds of casualties in the first few minutes of the battle, due to how strong they were.

Seeing that time was not on their side, William once again locked his attention on Felix, who was standing between the two Demigods that guarded him.

The red-headed teenager knew that, in order for them to win, they must defeat Felix first no matter what.

"Lightning Strider!" William charged towards the Crowned Demon like a lightning bolt.

The two Demigods guarding Felix immediately went to defend him, but just before the two of them could block William's path, both of them were blown away by an attack that they didn't see coming.

A beautiful Elf, wearing a white celestial armor, threw a green fireball at the head of one of the Demigods, forcing it to evade to the side.

A teenage boy with short black hair that had golden stripes in it that resembled lightning bolts, smashed Mjolnir at the chest of one of the Demigods, sending it flying in the opposite direction.

"Have no fear, Elliot and Conan are here," the teenage boy, who looked like William, declared as lightning crackled across the hammer in his hand.

The two of them had merged, and used William as a medium to teleport to his location.

The beautiful Elf, who was wearing white celestial clothes, glanced at her twin sister, who was currently being guarded by Chloee, with a relieved expression on her face.

"Looks like we made it in time," Celeste said as she gazed at the green-haired Demon who was now being pushed back by William's relentless attack.

She then threw a jewel on the ground, where a golden portal appeared.

Byron, walked out of it, as well as thousands of elite warriors that had been raised by Hestia Academy in secret.

They had been trained for this very day, and now they would fulfill their role to the best of their abilities.

"Push them back," Byron ordered. "Show them the might of Hestia Academy!"

""Yes!""

The warriors of the academy shouted a deafening roar as they joined the ranks of William's King's Legion to fight against the Shadow Demons that numbered in the tens of thousands.

Ahriman's third eye narrowed its gaze as it looked at those who had invaded his Domain. Although he was confident that he still had the upper hand in the battle, he still felt annoyed that several insects kept on getting in the way of his revival.

"Da Peng, Kinkaku, deal with these bugs," Ahriman ordered. "Show no mercy and don't let them leave this place alive!"

The Giant Golden Eagle, as well as the One-Horned Golden Demon nodded their heads as they left Sun Wukong's encirclement.

The Demon Bull King, Princess Iron Fan, Korkiki, as well as the Six-Eared Macaque took out their weapons and eyed Sun Wukong with determined faces.

They had one task, and one task only. To prevent the Monkey King from breaking out of their encirclement.

Sun Wukong sneered at them, but he understood that breaking free from the encirclement would only bring more harm than good in the current situation.

'William my boy, the rest is up to you,' Sun Wukong gazed at the red-headed teenager, who was currently attacking Felix without holding back.

The Half-Elf was like a mad bull on steroids, and his roar reverberated in the surroundings, as he tried to break the Armor of Darkness that protected Felix from his deadly blows that were meant to take the arrogant Demon's life.

Chapter 1075 Time To End This Farce [Part 1]

Due to Acedia's sacrifice, the laws that protected Ahriman's Domain from outside interference were broken.

This allowed William's Herd and King's Legion to leave the Thousand Beast Domain to come to his aid, as well as allow Conan, Elliot, and Celeste to lock on to William's and Chloee's location. Using the time that the Domain was still in an unstable state, Celeste opened the portal that allowed the Elite Warriors of Hestia Academy to join the battle.

Although Ahriman and the Dark Wraith didn't want to admit it, the advantage they had earlier had decreased by a good margin.

Ahriman's third eye locked on William's body as he gazed at him hatefully. It was all because of the Half-Elf that things were getting out of hand.

'I guess I could risk it even though my revival would be pushed back once again,' Ahriman thought as he fought an internal struggle inside his head. Even as a God, he still needed to make difficult choices in the current situation that he was in.

What he wasn't aware of was that high above the Temple of the Gods, a Primordial Goddess was watching the battle with an amused expression on her face. Standing beside her was the cloaked figure that William had met in the Deadlands. He was none other than her son, the God of Death.

"Looks like Ahriman is getting impatient." The Primordial Goddess smirked before glancing at her son. "You already know what to do, right?"

"Yes," the God of Death bowed his head in respect.

"Go. Ensure that Ahriman won't get his way. If he really plans to break the Code of the Temple of the Gods then we'd better take advantage of the situation."

"Understood."

The God of Death disappeared, leaving the Primordial Goddess to continue looking at the battle with a sweet smile on her face.

"I guess I'll have to thank you in advance, Ahriman," the Primordial Goddess said softly. "Because of you, my wish will be finally realized."

—--

Ahriman slowly opened his lips and several glowing orbs of light came out of the bodies of those that had died in the battle. He was planning to consume their souls in order to give himself enough Divinity so he could use some of his powers.

Everyone that was on William's side could only grit their teeth helplessly as they saw the souls of their allies fly in the direction of the God of Demons.

—---

William couldn't count the number of times he had tried to pierce Felix's armor using Soleil and Stormcaller.

The Black Armor was like an impenetrable shield. After attacking it several times, not even a crack could be seen on its surface.

"It's no use, Will," Celeste's voice reached out to the Half-Elf via telepathy. "That armor he is wearing is one of the Divine Regalia's of the God of Demons. Only attacks that are backed with the Power of Divinity will be able to damage it."

William smashed Soleil unto Felix's headgear, sending him crashing towards the horde of Shadow Demons that were trying to protect their Crowned Prince.

He then panted for breath as he wiped blood from the corner of his lips. Although Felix wasn't as experienced in fighting as William, the green-haired demon took advantage of his armor's invincibility to counterattack the Half-Elf and deal injuries to his body.

"Understood," William replied as he firmly gripped Soleil in his hand. 'I don't know if it will be enough, but I have no other choice.'

After absorbing the remnants of the Sun Flare earlier, Soleil's divinity had been charged by half. William knew that it was not enough to pierce through Felix's armor, and using the Divinity to charge it the rest of the way seemed like a waste.

However, in the end, he decided to take a gamble and use the last trump card he could use in order to channel Divinity into the spear of the Sun God.

"When the heavens above did not exist,

And earth beneath had not come into being --

There was Apsu, the first in order, their begetter,

And demiurge Tia-mat, who gave birth to them all."panda-novel,c,om

Several stone tablets flew out of the gem on William's chest, and hovered around him, forming a circle.

"Celestial God, ruler of the skies that has long been forgotten, may you hear my desperate prayer," William chanted. "Grant me your strength, so I may slay the enemies that bring Chaos upon the world. Support me with your Heavenly Blessing, and grant me your sacred favor."

The tablets shone brightly, imitating the rays of the sun with William at its center.

The Half-Elf then charged towards the horde of Shadow Demons who were instantly obliterated by the radiance that was being emitted by the tablets around William's body.

"Let your eternal light pierce through the darkness, and burn my foes in glorious flames!" William roared. "Obliterate all who stand before me!"

Felix's face immediately became pale when he sensed the Divine Powers that were being channeled through William's spear, which was now burning brightly.

"Spear of Lazarus!" Feflix shouted as he summoned the second Divine Regalia of Ahriman, which the Crimson Crown had bestowed upon him. The spear in his hand blazed with Hellfire as he charged forward and thrust his sword towards his enemy.

When the two teenagers were only dozens of meters away from each other, their powerful shouts resonated within the minds of those who heard them.

"Bloom in the Battlefield," William pulled back his spear as he prepared to unleash the attack to kill the Demon that threatened those who were important to him. "Fleur Du Soleil!"

The green-haired demon knew that if he didn't stop William's attack, his life was going to end, even though he was wearing the Armor of Darkness. Because of this, he also activated the strongest skill of the Spear of Lazarus and clashed with William's attack head-on.

"Ravager of the King!" Felix roared as he thrusted the spear on William's chest. "Bring an end to the living! Lazarus!"

Suddenly, several dark chains appeared out of nowhere and grabbed hold of William's left arm that was holding Soleil, preventing him from thrusting it towards his opponent.

Blood flew in the air as the Spear of Lazarus pierced through William's chest, surprising everyone who was paying close attention to the duel of the two teenagers.

"Noooooooooooo!" Ashe shouted as she ran towards William. The moment the spear hit Wiliam's chest, she clearly felt that her other half was slowly losing its vitality, which meant that her beloved was slowly dying.

A hate-filled cry spread across the surroundings as Chiffon suddenly turned into a giant, and smashed Sharur on Felix's body with all of her might, sending her brother flying in the opposite direction.

Princess Sidonie, and Lilith also ignored their opponents and went to their beloved's side, hoping to save him.

It was then when it happened.

"Time to end this farce."

Ahriman's chilling voice echoed across his Domain.

The first one to fall was Ashe, who was just a meter away from William's body when a spear pierced through her chest, pinning her to the ground.

"W-Will…," Ashe said as she tried to reach out to the red-headed teenager whom she had loved for a very long time. Soon, her hand fell down on the ground, as her blood pooled under her body.

The next one to fall was Princess Sidonie, who was pierced by two spears while flying towards William's direction. She fell from the sky and landed dozens of meters away from William. Her body lay motionless, for everyone to see.

"Damn you!" Chiffon shouted as she tried to block the rain of spears that was flying towards the three people that were important to her.

She was too preoccupied with protecting everyone from the spears that she didn't notice the One-Horned Golden Demon that had snuck up behind her.

"I do not like this, but it has to be done," Kinkaku thrusted his golden sword forward behind Chiffon's back, piercing through her chest. "Forgive me, little one."

The pink-haired girl's giant body slowly shrank in size before collapsing on the ground. A bloody hole could be seen in her chest, where her heart used to be. A single tear fell from the corner of her eyes, before they completely lost their luster, as they stared blankly at the dark sky above her head.

Lilith cried out in sadness as she deflected the dark spears that had tried to take her life as well. Fortunately, Gleipnir was powerful enough to keep her life safe as she headed in the direction of her fallen sisters who had tried to protect the man they loved.

A moment later, several dazzling orbs of light flew out of Ashe's, Princess Sidonie's, and Chiffon's bodies. All of them flew in the direction of the God of Demons who was eyeing their souls with greed.

Chapter 1076 Time To End This Farce [Part 2]

'Divine Souls!' Ahriman rejoiced internally when he saw the souls that were giving off a radiance that couldn't be compared to ordinary souls.

They were the souls that held powerful Divinities inside them, or souls that had been chosen by the Gods to become their followers.

Although he had expended most of the souls he had absorbed to meddle in the fight between William and Felix, the payoff was worth it, for every Divine Soul was equivalent to tens of thousands of souls.

Although some Gods had many followers, they also had Core Followers to whom they gave special care, as if they were their own children. Princess Sidonie, and Chiffon, carried the Sins of the world, so their souls held a powerful Divinity.

Ashe, on the other hand, was one of Astrid's core followers, alongside Est and Isaac. Although the Power of Divinity inside her body wasn't as strong as the souls of the Seven Deadly Sins, it didn't change the fact that it still contained a part of Astrid's power, leaving her soul with a trace of Divinity inside it.

"No!" Celine shouted as she flew towards the sky.

Black flames erupted from her back and formed six pairs of black angelic wings. She flew towards the three souls and forcefully contained them using the Power of her Divinity.

"I won't let you have them you bastard!" Celine roared in anger as she allowed her sealed Divinity to burst forth from her body.

Dark flames raged for hundreds of meters around her as Celine's wrath intensified.

"Kneel before me you wench!" Felix ordered as he gazed at Celine hatefully from a distance. "Obey me!"

The dark mark on Celine's right breast shone crimson red, but the beautiful Elf was unmoved. She then stared at Felix marking him as her target as she descended from the sky.

"I'll kill you!" Celine shouted with hate.

Her Wrath had overcome the power of the Mark of Darkness that forced her to obey Felix's orders. The only thing she wanted to do right now was to rip the Demon to pieces, in order to avenge her sisters who had died in battle.

The two Demigods that were guarding Felix moved in to block her path. However, Celine didn't stop her advance. Instead, she even increased her speed as the fingernails on her right hand extended and began to blaze with Dark Flames.

"Scram!" Celine roared in anger as she clawed the one of the Demigods that blocked her path.

The Demigod calmly used his weapon to block Celine's attack, creating sparks after they clashed.

To his surprise, the beautiful Elf overpowered him and was even able to cut off the arm that was holding the weapon. Celine didn't follow up with another attack and instead used that opportunity to close the distance between her and Felix.

Celine swiped her hand through the air and five wind blades, that blazed with Dark Flames, flew in Felix's direction.

Naturally her attack was blocked by the other Demigod, but the impact still sent it flying away, leaving Felix undefended.

"Die!" Celine's hand turned into a claw as she hatefully swiped down at the Demon that dared to control her Destiny.

A scream of pain spread across the Domain as Felix's blood gushed out of his body. His right arm, which was still protected by the Armor of Darkness, fell on the ground before Felix disappeared completely.

Celine's attack created five deep fissures in the ground that extended for hundreds of meters.

Growling like an animal, she turned her head to look in the direction of the God of Demons and saw Felix's body lying on the palm of his hand. Blood was still flowing from the shoulder she had sliced his arm from with her last attack.

"B*tch! How dare you?!" Felix shouted as he propped himself up with his remaining arm. "You dare hurt your Master?! You dare hurt your Lord?!"

"You are not my Master!" Celine shouted. "I will kill you!"panda-novel,c,om

However, just as Celine was about to attack again, several dark chains bound her arms, and legs.

"Give them to me," Ahriman ordered. "Give the souls in your possession to me and I will overlook your transgression!"

Three dazzling souls with different colors were encased in an orb of dark flames that held them in place. No matter what Ahriman did, he couldn't absorb the souls because Celine had used her own Divinity to block his actions.

"Never!" Celine shouted as she gathered the Dark Flames around her to form a giant fireball. She had infused the fireball with the power of her Wrath, which made even the Demigods that were on Ahriman's side frown.

None of them dared to block this attack which contained a powerful Divinity.

"Die for me!" Celine threw the giant fireball towards Felix who was in the midst of trying to reattach the arm that had been cut off from his body.

The third eye on Ahriman's forehead shot a red beam of light that pierced through the giant fireball and through Celine's chest.

The beautiful Elf's body was then set ablaze with Dark Flames, making her scream in pain.

"Fool," Ahriman said in a voice filled with disdain. "You dare challenge a God with this feeble power? Know your place. You are merely a pawn. MY Pawn! You just have to do what you were born to do, and submit to your destiny!"

Celine's body collapsed on the ground as the power that encased the three souls in her left hand dispersed.

The three Divine souls that Ahriman coveted once again flew in his direction. Celine gazed at them as her vision blurred due to tears. Although she could activate the power of her Divinity to overcome the Mark of Darkness, she still fell short when fighting against the will of one of the strongest Gods in the world of Hestia.

Ahriman's lips opened as the three souls neared him.

However, just when the souls were a dozen meters away from his mouth, they changed direction and headed towards the sky.

Ahriman's third eye widened in shock because he didn't understand what was happening. However, his shock turned into disbelief when he saw a cloaked figure hovering in the middle of the sky.

"These souls are mine," the cloaked figure said as he gazed at Ahriman in contempt. "You broke the Code of the Gods. You were not allowed to personally interfere with the mortal realm and you have done so repeatedly. Taking the lives of these three mortals was something that you shouldn't have done, but what is done is done."

The cloaked figure then glanced at Celine who was lying on the ground. He then casually made a gesture and Celine's body floated in the air then flew in his direction.

'I was planning to kill her to end her suffering, but I can't,' the cloaked figure thought as his gaze locked on Celine's body, particularly her womb. 'If it was only her, I would have killed her right away, but I can't take the life of an innocent.'

The God of Death then held Celine's body before entering a dark portal. However, before he passed through it, he gave the Half-Elf on the ground a side-long glance. This only lasted for a brief moment before he disappeared from Ahriman's domain.

A hate-filled roar escaped Ahriman's lips after he had been denied his prize. If he had absorbed the power of the three Divine Souls, at least two of the chains that bound his body would have easily been undone.

'How dare you interfere?!' Ahriman's mental shout made the entire Domain tremble as all living and non-living beings held onto their heads due to the pain that they were suffering. 'Just who are you?!'

The God of Demons didn't know the identity of the cloaked person that had intruded on his Domain. The only thing that he knew was that only those who had similar powers to him, when he was at his peak, were capable of breaking through the laws of his world.

"Everyone leave this place now!" Elliott shouted as he raised Mjolnir to the sky creating thunderclouds. "Hurry!"

He had already seen what was going to happen next, and the only thing he could do was buy everyone time before the God of Demons threw caution to the wind, and annihilated everyone that was inside his Domain due to his anger and frustration.

Chapter 1077 Not Bad For A Half-Baked Goddess, Right?

Everything seemed to move in slow motion, as Chloee stared at William's body that was pierced through by the Spear of Lazarus.

As someone who was experienced in battle, she knew that there was no way William was going to lose in that clash, but at the last moment, several dark chains grabbed hold of his arm, preventing him from unleashing his attack.

The little fairy knew that the one that summoned the chains wasn't Felix. The Crowned Demon didn't have the leisure to do something like that in the midst of battle. It was then that Chloee glanced at the Giant Demon God that was seated on the throne.

Even though she was quite far from him, she clearly saw that the corner of the Demon's lips was slightly raised.

"You!" Chloee shouted as time reverted to its normal speed.

The first thing that she thought to do in that moment was to use 100% of her true power and smash the Giant God's head in with her full-powered punch. However, that thought didn't last long before she once again shifted her attention to William in the distance.

'I need to save him!' Chloee tried to gather what little strength remained inside her body in order to fly in William's direction. However, just as she was about to run forward, her legs gave out, and she found herself crashing towards the ground, facefirst.

Just as soon as she raised her head, what she saw next made her heart tremble.

William's wives, died in front of her, while attempting to go to his side. This scene made her heart turn cold, as she was momentarily frozen in disbelief that what she was seeing was real.

Beside her, Celine released a blood-curdling scream before unleashing the power of her Divinity.

The beautiful Elf's divinity was Wrath. One of the most powerful Sins in existence because everything that blocked its way would be burned to ashes.

Chloee's heart beat faster inside her chest when she saw that Celine seemed to be winning against Felix. The moment when the green-haired demon's arm was cut off, she thought that the next blow would definitely take Felix's life.

Unfortunately, the God of Demons didn't allow that to happen, and immediately saved Felix from the brink of death by teleporting him to his side.

'Dammit!' Chloee gritted her teeth as she forcefully propped herself to the ground. Although she was still feeling weak, the fire burning inside her chest was forcing her to move her body.

When the souls of William's wives, as well as Celine, were taken by the cloaked figure, the world suddenly trembled.

It was as if an earthquake was taking place, which forced Chloee to change back into her fairy form. She then flew towards William with the intention to keep him safe. Chloee knew that, at this point in time, the red-headed teenager's life was hanging on by a thread.

'No! I won't let that happen!' Chloee desperately flew towards William with tears blurring her vision. 'I won't let that happen!'

—--

"Everyone leave this place now!" Elliott shouted as he raised Mjolnir to the sky creating thunderclouds. "Hurry!"

Conan, who had separated from Elliot, immediately flew towards the ground in order to take William away and flee.

"Kill everyone!" Ahriman shouted as his bloodshot third eye locked on William's body on the ground. "Bring him to me! I will personally torture his soul for eternity!"

The Seven Demigods, as well as the two other Celestial Spirits, Da Peng, and Kinkaku, all nodded their heads simultaneously and headed towards William's location. The Shadow Demons also stopped attacking their opponents, and charged towards the fallen Half-Elf like a black tide that was planning to drown him completely.

"Scram you bastards!" A mighty roar filled with anger reverberated in the battlefield.

Suddenly, a giant golden cudgel sweeped all the Demigods and sent them flying in the distance.

Sun Wukong's entire body had turned golden, while blood seeped from the corner of his lips. His eyes burned with fury after witnessing everything that had transpired.

"Ahriman, you f*cking bastard!" Sun Wukong shouted hatefully as he swatted Da Peng and Kinkaku like little flies.

"Careful! He is burning his life force to boost his strength!" Bull Demon King warned his comrades as he prevented his wife, Princess Iron Fan from joining the battle.

"He has gone crazy!" the Six-Eared Macaque exclaimed. "This might get a little bit dangerous."

Ruyi Jingu Bang was set ablaze as Sun Wukong smashed one of the Demigods with his gigantic golden cudgel, turning it into meat paste.

The Monkey King's anger had gone off the roof that he no longer cared if he would suffer greatly once the effect of his blood sacrifice ended. All he wanted to do was to kill as many enemies as he could in order to avenge William's wives, as well as vent the hatred in his heart.

"Die!" Sun Wukong swept countless Shadow Demons away, making them explode into a shower of sparks before they disappeared completely.

Da Peng and Kinkaku wisely backed off because they knew that if they tried to fight Sun Wukong while he was in this state, their chances of dying were very high.

"Kuuh!" Sun Wukong was doing his best to hold back when it came to smashing Ahriman's face with his weapon. Since Ruyi Jingu Bang was a weapon that held Divine Power, it had the ability to injure, and even potentially kill Gods.

However, since Ahriman was an ancient God, the Monkey King knew that he couldn't take any chances. Although he didn't want to admit it, he was afraid that his attack on the God of Demons would break the chains that bound his body, freeing him from the seal that held him in place.

"Sh*t!" Sun Wukong shouted as he transferred his hatred to another Demigod and pierced its chest with his weapon, killing another one of Ahriman's minions.

Because of this, all the Demigods, as well as the Shadow Demons retreated in haste. The Monkey King wasn't moving from his place, and his intent to defend William could be seen in his face.

If Sun Wukong wanted, he could probably kill a few more Demigods, as well as his hateful enemies if he tried. However, he didn't do that. He was afraid that if he left William's side, the God of Demons would try to sneak attack the fallen boy again and end his life once and for all.

Ahriman grunted as he gave a new order to his forces. This time, the ones they attacked where Wiliam's King's Legion as well as the elite warriors of Hestia Academy.

Celeste and Byron faced the incoming threat together with William's King's Legion but they were no match for the quantity and quality of Ahriman's forces.

"Celeste, we need to retreat!" Byron shouted. "If we stay, our forces will be annihilated!"

Celeste nodded before glancing in William's direction. She could see Chloee desperately flying towards him, which made her hesitate.

"Headmaster, retreat with our forces," Celeste said. "I will rescue William first."

Byron glanced in William's direction and nodded his head.

"You still have the Group Teleport Scroll that I gave you, right?" Byron asked.

"Yes." Celeste nodded. "I know what to do, Headmaster."

The two once again nodded at each other before flying in opposite directions.

"Retreat everyone!" Byron ordered as he threw five crystal beads on the ground. "Return to Hestia Academy!"

The Warriors of the academy immediately entered the portals, while some of their comrades guarded the rear.

Ella pushed the Demigods back, alongside Baba Yaga and William's King's Legion. Although she wanted to go to the Half-Elf's side so badly, she couldn't leave the others behind. She and Baba Yaga were the only two beings that were preventing her adopted son's forces from being massacred by the Demigods who surpassed them in power and rank.

Ella had already sent Chronos, Aslan, and the rest of William's herd to rush to his side and protect him. In truth, she couldn't fight in her current vessel for long because it was not capable of handing her divinity.

With every passing second, she knew that she was a second closer to her body disintegrating.

'You can hear me, right?' Ella asked as he summoned several giant ice spears to repel the Demigods that had advanced in their direction.

'Yes,' the Primordial Goddess seated on the throne replied.

'That being that took the souls of William's wives, as well as Celline, he works for you, right?'

'You could say that.'

'Can you promise me one thing?'

Ella frowned as her left arm hung limply at her side. She could no longer move it because it had already reached its limit.

'What promise do you want me to make?' the Primordial Goddess replied. Although she was Ella's rival, she knew that both of them only wanted what was best for him.

'Don't let him die,' Ella replied as she summoned a dome of ice to allow the warriors of Hestia Academy to retreat safely.

'So, it's my win, right?'

'Yes.'

'Very well. Die in peace.'

Ella smiled bitterly as she ordered William's Legion to head in his direction. The Warriors of Hestia had now safely returned to their academy.

The Goddess of the World, Hestia, asked her to help them in return for a favor. Ella readily agreed to her request. Even though the Goddess Hestia wasn't as powerful as she was in the past, a promise made by her would be fulfilled without fail.

After the Warriors from the academy had safely retreated, the attention of Ahriman's forces was now focused on William's army.

"Kasogonaga, lead them to William!" Ella ordered as she activated the power of her Divinity. She then pulled the bell that hung from her neck and threw it in William's direction.

The bell left a trail of silver light behind it as it flew towards William. Soon, it landed on the gem embedded in William's chest, which had turned completely black.

"I'm sorry," Ella said softly. "This is the only thing I can do for you."

The silver bell merged with the gem in William's chest, creating a faint ripple within its darkness. A moment later, a small glow started to pulsate at the center of the black gem.

She also waved her hand and encased the bodies of Ashe, Princess Sidonie, and Chiffon in a thick layer of ice, stopping the deterioration, and corruption of their bodies.

Ella sighed after seeing this before facing the monsters in front of her. Both of her hands hung limply at the sides of her body now, but she didn't pay them any mind.

"Even if it's only for half a minute, I will make you understand that you shouldn't have made me angry," Ella said in a cold indifferent tone as her body glowed brightly.

Ahriman's eyes widened in shock as he shifted his attention from William to the otherworldly beauty who was looking at him with killing intent. He hadn't paid much attention to Ella earlier because he thought that she was just using an ability to temporarily boost her rank to the Demigod Level.

"I didn't know you were a Goddess," Ahriman's cold voice spread across the Domain. "Well, a half-baked Goddess. It seems that your vessel is not capable of holding your Divinity."

Ella smiled as the power she released intensified, making the entire world shudder under her majestic form.

"It's time for you to feel the power of this half-baked Goddess," Ella declared as the Domain's temperature dropped to freezing levels. Only William and his forces were not affected by this sudden change in temperature.

"Absolute Zero."

Everything in front of Ella turned into ice sculptures. The Shadow Demons, the five Demigods, as well as Kinkaku, were caught within the range of her Coup De Grace.

Only Felix, the Bull Demon King, Princess Iron Fan, Da Peng, Six-Eared Macaque, and the Dark Wraith were saved because Ahriman had used his own Divinity to shield them from Ella's attack.

"Not bad for a half-baked Goddess, right?" Ella sneered before her body started to disperse like ashes in the wind. "Wash your neck. William will come for it soon. I will laugh at your demise from the heavens."

Ella's parting words echoed through the heavens, making those who heard it feel their hearts tremble.

A prophecy that the Goddess of Tenderness believed would come to pass, regardless of how long it would take.

Chapter 1078 You Are Never Alone

Before she disappeared completely, Ella encased her allies in a protective dome of ice that contained the power of her Divinity.

She had done this to give William's forces ample time to regroup, as well as think about how they were going to get out of their predicament.

Although she had greatly reduced the threat that they would have to face, they were still not out of danger just yet.

Lilith held unto William's body as tears streamed down the side of her face. Chloee was also beside him, and looking at him with a worried expression on her face.

"His heart is no longer beating," Celeste said as she crouched down to examine William's body. "I'm afraid that he's…"

"He's still alive," Elliot said with a sad expression on his face. "Barely alive. Ashe transferred what little bit of life force remained in her to him just before she died. Ella… Ella also transferred her remaining lifespan and Divinity to him, to ensure that he would live for one more day."

"Only a day?" Chloee asked. "What good will a day do?"

Elliot shook his head. "Not much, but it's better than nothing."

Chronos and the others had solemn expressions on their faces as they looked at their Master whose pale expression looked paler than when he equipped his Vampire Progenitor class. Ella had tasked them to protect him at all cost, and that was what they were planning to do.

"Don't worry, I have a teleport scroll in my possession. It can teleport a hundred people back to Hestia Academy…"

Celeste wasn't able to finish her words because she had completely forgotten that William's forces numbered in the thousands. She bit her lip and didn't utter another word as she looked at the pale-faced Half-Elf who was still unconscious.

"It's fine," Elliot said. "I will take everyone back to the Thousand Beast Domain."

He then turned to look at his twin Conan and patted his shoulder.

"I'll leave the rest to you," Elliot said in a serious manner.

"Understood," Conan replied as he lowered his head. "I'll do my best'"

Elliott nodded "I know you will."

Elliot then pressed his forehead on William's own and uttered a single word.

"Synchronize."

—----

"Where?"

William muttered as he gazed at his surroundings. He felt so light, as if he was floating. He felt sluggish and drowsy, and all he wanted was to close his eyes and return to sleep.

However, just before he did that, a small glowing ball of light suddenly appeared in front of him.

"So, this is where you are," Elliot said in a teasing tone. "You look beat up, champ."

"... Elliot?" William asked as he looked at the Angelic Familiar in front of him with eyes half open.

The feeling of drowsiness was too strong, that he felt himself being held in a soothing embrace. All he needed to do was close his eyes, and allow the comfortable feeling to wash over his body.

"Oi! Don't sleep!" Elliot shouted as he slapped William's cheeks repeatedly.

"That hurts."

"Good. it means that you're still alive."

The Angelic Familiar sighed as he pressed his hand over his forehead.

"Listen, Will. I don't have much time left," Elliot said. "There are many things that I want to say, but it is better that I just show it to you instead."

Elliot waved his hand and a projection appeared in front of William, who was doing his best to keep his eyes open.

He saw how Felix managed to pierce his chest with the Spear of Lazarus, but he remained unmoved by it. Only when he saw how his wives died while trying to reach out to him did the drowsiness disappear from his body.

A rage that he had never felt before started to overcome him. However, the scenes didn't end there. He shouted in anger when he saw that the souls of his wives fly towards Ahriman.

He had seen how the Demonic God absorbed the souls of those that had died on the battlefield. The scene of the souls of his wives about to be absorbed by the hateful God made the Half-Elf cry out loud.

Then, the image of Celine forcefully saving their souls followed. William felt his heart tightening when he saw how his Master had activated her Divinity and went all out to kill Felix using the power of Wrath.

Unfortunately, Felix didn't die. Ahriman saved the bastard and tortured Celine using the flames of darkness. The Half-Elf felt helpless when he saw her fate, as well as the fate of the souls of his wives who once again flew in Ahriman's direction.

"I'll kill you," William clenched his fist as he looked at the Demonic God with hatred. "I swear I will kill you!"

However, just as before the souls were about to be eaten, they flew towards the sky. William's gaze locked on the cloaked figure in the sky because he had recognized him.

"The God of Death," William said in a chilling tone that made Elliot flinch.

He then saw how the cloaked figure kidnapped Celine while Ahriman could only watch helplessly from where he sat. However, just before the God of Death entered the portal behind his back, he gazed in his direction.

For a brief moment, their gazes met, and somehow, William could feel the God's arrogance as if taunting him for his weakness.

William thought that everything was over, but when he saw Ella's death. Something inside of him broke.

He stared at the image in a daze as tears streamed down the side of his face. Elliot sighed as he patted William's head.

"Will, not everything is over yet," Elliot said. "The people who care for you are still in danger. Conan, Chloee, Kasogonaga, Erchitu, Psoglav, Chronos, Aslan, and the rest. They are still outside and are just a few minutes away from dying."

William bit his lip as he forced himself to stand. Earlier, he felt as if he was floating. Now, he felt as if he was carrying an entire mountain on his back.

"Just tell me what I have to do, Elliot," William said as he gazed at his Angelic Familiar.

Elliot gave him a sad smile as he pressed his hand over his forehead. "Do your best to Live. As long as you are alive. There is hope."

Elliot's body turned golden and slowly turned into particles of light. He had expanded most of his power to look for William within the boundaries of life and death. This was the only way he knew of to be able to bring him back to the land of the living.

"Will, I will not lie to you. Dark and difficult times are up ahead," Elliot declared. "Perhaps, the only way for you to reunite with those important to you is to find Hope."

William's gaze blurred as he stared at the Angelic Familiar that was slowly disappearing in front of him. Elliot was part of his soul, so he understood what he was trying to do. In exchange for his life, his familiar was burning his own soul to bring William back to the lands of the living.

"Well, you might experience extreme pain when you wake up," Elliot chuckled. "After all, losing a quarter of your soul will definitely result in a backlash. Still, pain is a good thing. It reminds you that you are still alive."

William gritted his teeth as he burned Elliot's smile on his very soul. He knew that his angelic familiar was trying to comfort him, even in his last moments, which made it harder for him to accept what was happening.

"Remember, okay? Make sure to find Hope," Elliot said. "Perhaps, she is the only one who can turn this entire situation around."

"Hope? Hoping does nothing!" William angrily shouted. "Where was Hope when I needed it the most?! It doesn't exist, Elliot. Hope doesn't exist!"

Elliot wagged his finger as if he was trying to tell William that he was wrong. He was like a wise old man that held the knowledge of the entire world in the palm of his hands.

"I'm not talking about the word Hope," Elliot replied. "I'm talking about The Hope. The Eighth, and last member of the Virtues. Find her, Will… Wait, knowing her, she will find you first. Well, I guess it will probably work out… maybe."

Elliot chuckled as he scratched his head. When only half of his body remained, Elliot once again looked at William with a serious expression on his face.

"Goodbye, Will," Elliot said. "Make sure to take care of Chloee. She dumped me to be with you. Also, if you don't do anything, she might die today as well."

Wiliam stared at his familiar that was slowly disappearing in front of him. "Elliot, is there really no other way?"

Elliot smirked before his entire body turned into particles of light and flew towards the sky of the pitch-black world. Till the very end, a peaceful smile was on his face as if he knew what was going to happen in the future.

"Will, remember this. You are never alone."

Suddenly, a small spark appeared in the heavens and banished the darkness. A clear blue sky appeared above William's head, which was reflected by the clear blue sea under his feet. The Half-Elf found himself in a familiar place. A place where he had many fond memories of his wives, when they were helping him recover the power and stability of his spiritual world.

His Sea of Consciousness, that had died, was once again rejuvenated by Elliot's sacrifice. Ripples appeared in the clear waters under William's feet as his tears fell freely like raindrops.

Part of his soul had died in order to bring him back to life. He knew that from this day onwards, he would never see his Angelic Familiar ever again.

Chapter 1079 Don't Even Think About Escaping!

Hestia Academy…

Thorfinn was busy training the technique that Elliot had taught him when he suddenly felt a very bad foreboding that came out of nowhere.

He couldn't explain what was happening. All he knew was that he was feeling an ache in his chest that he couldn't describe.

"... Did something bad perhaps happen to Master?" Thorfinn muttered before shaking his head. "Impossible. How can Master possibly get into trouble? I might just be feeling tired. Yes, I'm just feeling tired."

Thorfinn tried to shake off the feeling of anxiousness that was starting to rise in his heart. However, no matter what he did, he felt as if someone very important to him had disappeared from his life.

—--

William slowly opened his eyes, and found himself wrapped up in a tight embrace, by the Amazon Princess whose tears were trickling down his face.

Just before William could say anything to comfort Lilith, a stinging pain erupted inside his head. It was as if someone was pushing a knife to his skull, and peeling back the pieces of his scalp as slowly and as painfully as possible.

"Khhhh!" William hissed in pain as he endured the painful sensation that he had never experienced in his life before. The soul-stirring pain made him unable to speak, as well as unable to breathe properly, making him shudder uncontrollably.

"Will! What's going on?!" Lilith held William tighter in an effort to stop his body from shaking.

Conan pressed a palm over his chest because he was also feeling great pain, but his pain was nothing compared to what the red-headed teenager was experiencing at the moment.

"He is suffering from a Soul Backlash," Conan said through gritted teeth. "Just give him a bit of time. He will recover in a few minutes."

Sun Wukong's fiery eyes gazed at William and saw the great damage to his soul. Immediately, he took out one of the peaches in his possession and crushed it in his hands. He had already grabbed William's jaw and held it in place, as he allowed the fruit juice to enter his mouth.

A few seconds later, the Half-Elf's body stopped shaking, but he still had a pained expression on his face.

Conan flew towards him and whispered something in his ear.

"I know that you're in a lot of pain right now, but we don't have much time," Conan whispered as the dome of ice that Ella had erected trembled. "For now, take your King's Legion back inside the Thousand Beast Domain. If you don't, they will die a meaningless death."

William gritted his teeth as he recalled his army back into his Thousand Beast Domain. Due to the scenes that he saw earlier, he already had a general idea of what was happening around them.

The gem on William's chest that had been completely black earlier, now turned dark gray. His army turned into particles of light and flew towards it, leaving Ahriman's Domain behind.

However, some resisted his orders and decided to remain by his side. Among them were Kasogonaga, Erchitu, Psoglav, Jareth (Goblin Paladin), Scadrez (Blood Eagle), Chronos, Aslan, and the others in their demihuman forms, as well as Charmaine, and the rest of the Elves alongside their Winged Horses.

"We're not going back," Kasogonaga declared as it stomped its adorable foot on the ground. "We will make sure that you safely leave this place."

The others also nodded their heads in agreement, and all of them had the expression of not taking No for an answer.

William forcefully opened his eyes to look at his dear friends. However, his breath almost stopped when he saw the three frozen figures that had been placed, not far from him.

A sob escaped William's lips as tears streamed down his eyes. Although he was in great pain, the heartache he felt was greater than the one he was experiencing right now. Biting his lips until they drew blood, he reached out his right hand and forcefully teleported his frozen wives back to his Thousand Beast Domain.

"You can grieve later," Conan patted William's cheeks. "If we don't leave this place, more people are going to die."

Sun Wukong sighed as he nodded his head. "He's right, Will. I will soon disappear also. I used a bit of my life force, and I am unable to remain in this place for long. At most, I can only stay for ten minutes. After that… all of you are on your own."

William's Heroic Summoning had ended the moment he died. But, Sun Wukong burned his life force in order to remain, and protect everyone to the best of his abilities. He was barely maintaining his form, and doing his best to minimize the consumption of his powers.

"Rai…den," William said through gritted teeth.

Immediately, a black beam of light shot out from his gem and materialized as the Black Qilin, Raiden.

"Let's… leave," Wiliam forced himself to utter the words as his face contorted in pain. "Let's enter the red portal that led to this place."

Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. Lilith carried William and mounted the Black Qilin, while Celeste merged with Claire, allowing her to grow a pair of green, flaming wings, behind her back.

Kasogonaga mounted Scadrez's back. Sun Wukong summoned three flying clouds to allow Psoglav, Erchitu, and Jareth, to accompany them on their journey.

"Okay, listen to me," Sun Wukong said. "The moment the dome breaks, all of you will make a run for it. I will hold them back for as long as I can, but remember that I will probably be able to hold them for five minutes at best."

"We will leave this place together!" Kasogonaga shouted. Before looking at his two best friends, Erchitu and Psoglav. "The two of you better not die, okay? I'm going to murder both of you if you do!"

"I'm already dead," Erchitu replied.

"I don't plan on dying," Psoglav answered as his single eye glowed faintly. "Not until I eat that green-haired bastard Prince."

Many of his acquaintances had died in the battle. He could only watch helplessly as their souls were absorbed by the God of Demons, and his hatred for Felix burned brightly inside his chest.

The Demonic Dog knew that it couldn't possibly fight against the God of Demons. Since that was the case, he then chose to vent his frustrations on the only one that he could attack and that was none other than Felix.

It was at that moment when the dome of ice shattered and dispersed into a cloud of white mist.

Immediately, the Black Qilin pierced through the white haze, alongside several others, flying in the opposite direction of the God of Demons. They only had one destination and that was none other than the red portal in the distance, that would take them to the first level of the Ancient Ruins.

"Don't even think about escaping!" Ahriman's thunderous voice boomed like thunder. "Get them!"

The Dark Wraith, the Demon Bull King, and the rest of the forces that Ahriman had invited from the Celestial Realm followed behind William's entourage.

However, they still kept a safe distance from Sun Wukong. They knew that the Monkey King had thrown caution to the wind and was prepared to fight them to the death. If only they knew that Sun Wukong was on borrowed time, perhaps they would have been more aggressive in their approach to capture the red-headed teenager and his entourage.

Chapter 1080 Just Try Dying Once

Sun Wukong trailed behind the group and acted as a rearguard.

His mere presence was enough to deter Ahrimans' remaining forces, who could potentially eliminate William's group if they all worked together.

Baba Yaga was flying beside him. She was grieving what happened to Celine, and wanted to avenge her. However, she understood that even if she was strong, she couldn't possibly face the other beings—whose strength was similar to the golden Monkey King beside her.

The Old Witch was the second strongest in William's group. Sun Wukong had already told her that he wouldn't be able to stay for a long time, so he entrusted William's safety to her.

Halfway along their journey, a sigh escaped Sun Wukong's lips as he looked at William with regret.

"I'm sorry, this is as far as I can go," Sun Wukong said before stopping mid-air. "They're all yours, Baba Yaga."

The old witch nodded her head and hastened towards William's group. The Monkey King stood straight as a sword as he held Ruyi Jingu Bang firmly in his hands.

He only had a minute left before he disappeared completely, and he planned to use that remaining time for One Last Hurrah in an attempt to seriously injure or kill any of their pursuers.

Bull Demon King frowned when he saw Sun Wukong suddenly stop escaping and felt that something was wrong. He hurriedly grabbed hold of his wife's, Princess Iron Fan, body and flew backwards, retreating as far away as he could from the Golden Monkey who was giving him the feeling of impending death.

The Six-Eared Macaque was a cowardly being. The moment he saw the Bull Demon King backing away, he immediately followed suit.

A moment later, Sun Wukong's arrogant voice filled with killing intent resonated across the heavens.

"Annihilate all those who stand before me," Sun Wukong's fiery eyes blazed fiercely as his muscles bulged. "Slay the heavens!"

"Ruyi Jingu Bang!"

The giant golden cudgel in his hand blazed brightly like a burning sun, momentarily blinding his pursuers.

Da Peng and the Dark Wraith already had an idea of what Sun Wukong was planning, so they had already prepared their strongest defensive abilities to block his attack.

Da Peng covered his entire body with his wings, as he hovered mid-air like a giant golden ball. The Dark Wraith on the other hand, enclosed itself into a shield of darkness, preparing to resist Sun Wukong's attack.

The sky was split apart as Sun Wukong unleashed his strongest attack, catching Da Peng and the Dark Wraith by surprise.

The giant golden cudgel smashed both of them into the ground, destroying the geography completely, and creating a powerful earthquake, which was strong enough to make Ahriman's giant throne shake.

"Crazy Monkey!" Princess Iron Fan gasped as she looked at the destruction that Sun Wukong had unleashed. Almost half of Ahrimans' Domain was destroyed in that single attack, which proved that the Monkey King wasn't someone to be taken lightly.

She was quite thankful that her husband had noticed Sun Wukong's peculiarity and retreated as fast as he could.

The Six-Eared Macaque was also thanking his lucky stars for being able to escape such a terrifying onslaught. Although he was strong, he didn't have the confidence that he could take Sun Wukong's final attack head-on.

"Just you wait. I'll pay all of you back once you return to the Celestial Realm."

Wukong's threat reached their ears before his entire body dissipated.

The Bull Demon King flew towards Da Peng and the Dark Wraith to see if they were still alive or not. All of them were Pseudo-Gods, so, although they weren't Gods, their strength had surpassed the Demigod Rank.

Sun Wukong's weapon was one of the extremely few weapons that could harm Gods. Although the Bull Demon King felt that the Monkey King's wasn't able to use his full strength on that final blow due to his current circumstance, it was nevertheless a very deadly blow that could potentially deal serious injuries to beings of their rank.

Da Peng's golden wings had been completely crushed, and his body was bleeding all over. Although his life wasn't in any danger, he would take at least a month or two for him to make a full recovery.

The Dark Wraith didn't fair any better. Its entire being was flickering as if it could fade at any moment. As an Undead, it was weak against flames, especially flames that held the power of Divinities.

It was at that moment when a dark beam of light landed on its body, helping it recover at a very fast rate.

"Don't let any of them escape. Bring them back to me. Dead or alive."

Ahriman's bone-chilling order reached their ears, which made them remember the task he had set out for them.

The Bull Demon King, Princess Iron Fan, the Six-Eared Macaque, as well as the newly recovered Dark Wraith once again pursued their targets, leaving Da Peng behind.

At that exact moment, William's entourage had just passed through the red portal, leaving Ahriman's personal Domain behind.

"Where is the exit?" Celeste asked, as she scanned her surroundings.

Baba Yaga frowned as she channeled her senses to look for a possible exit within the Domain. Suddenly, she felt a very subtle fluctuation towards the South, which she determined to be the exit of the Ancient Ruins.

"To the South!" Baba Yaga stated. "Follow me!"

Everyone flew alongside Baba Yaga as they sped up in the direction she had pointed. They had just flown for a minute when they felt several strong presences behind them.

Baba Yaga turned her head to look at their pursuers and clicked her tongue. Even if her strength was at the Peak of the Demigod Rank, her opponents were Pseudo-Gods. It was impossible for her to defeat one of them, let alone four.

"Just keep on flying!" Conan shouted as he urged everyone. "Don't worry. We will be able to make it!"

It was at this moment when Kasogonaga, Erchitu, Psoglav, and Jareth exchanged glances at each other.

"Keep going!" Kasogonaga shouted. "We'll buy you some time!"

"Fools!" Baba Yaga rebuked the rainbow-colored Anteater who was riding on top of the Blood Eagle's back. "You can't block them even for a second!"

"It's fine, Granny," Psoglav's voice, filled with determination, reached Baba Yaga's ears. "We don't plan on dying."

Without another word, Kasogonaga, alongside his friends, flew towards the approaching Pseudo-Gods, fearlessly.

"Are you sure that we won't die?" Psoglav's determined expression suddenly collapsed as soon as he saw the Bull Demon King, as well as his cohorts in the horizon. "We won't die, right?"

"Don't worry," Kasogonaga replied. "Even if you die, William can bring you back as an Undead as long as I bring you back with me."

"*$&#*&$*#$&!" Psoglav cursed out loud as he tried to maneuver his flying cloud to turn around and regroup with William's group. "F*ck this I'm out!"

However, before he could even get away, Erchitu's hand grabbed his body and held him firmly in his grip.

"It's fine," Erchitu said as he gazed at his friend with his burning blue eyes that marked him as a revenant. "Just try dying once."

"F*ck you!" Psoglav shouted. "Our friendship ends here!"

Jareth glanced at his comrades with a complicated look on his face.

'I shouldn't have joined these three crazies on their suicide mission,' Jareth thought as he held the artifact that Elliot had given him earlier in his hands. 'Elliot, I hope you didn't f*ck us up.'